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A NIGHT IN HER LIFE. I HAITKK. V. " Tho K'.'d UOUM, Ry elands, Tuesday. ' Dearost Uec - According to |>r il down to write lo you to tell youalUI.".it O. M. The loiter will, in fn t, consi*t of nothing else, for he |/<-rvadri> tlm whole | i. ('iiii.li.llv. mill mil in the least I*- Ckuto I want to diaillusioni/c you, I mutt say I don't think Inn engagement han im- proved him. It seems to have made him HO bumptious, lauly (Handle i> an odd girl dill., nit to dea.-rilp8. S!u- fair and very ilent ; I nhoulil call her sulky and dinigrea- ahle, liui they cay ahe can talk lo men. She hu a fine figure, but in fare I . ill her plain. She dresses a ({real dual in the \ces--ively tailoi n ade style, with collars, cull*, tie* and hone shoe pin*. I don t 'cotton to her, s you will perceive from thU description. Nor does (>eoff, and you know how I believe in him a> a phyniognoiniat. There ii no doubt at all in my mind now if any existed before that Mallinger is not in love with her. Hi* ia, *s he aiw.iy* w;w laat year, in love with you. He will intit upon trying t" talk tome alxjut you, and would knnw wbeie you are (laying, and wauled in make out that lie knew the Lux mores, or ai leut a greitt friend of thcim. My dear, if it huuld l>e m> if I have ent you out of the frying pail into the fire I ihoulil never^for- givr niyaelf ! He ( M. --seems to be making his fmii.ii at a great rate. Hubert M\ln>T tells no- lie i* the ran "' Londou, an .i, now that lie la engaged to Lord Lin- gate a daughter, he gota everywhere and it nude quite a lion of. I really wonder ho should care lo come, down to luch a remote place aa thii. Don't think me mad if I say that I believe you were the attraction. lie does not look happy and aeema resiles*. They in.' only to ttay a week. Lady Blanche anubi him, but acenii je*lom of him too. She told me that ahe hated literature ' Oh, money --money! What will not people do for money? It has disgusted ineeven more than I expi'i-ti'd it would; but perhapa I am prejudii ed. All i he Mylnera ar delighted, of course they were alwaya tuft hunter*. You see, Robert ia Mallinger'* bosom friend anil will be hia Ixat man, anil that means introduc- tion for him into the circle of Lady lllauche's mamma. I believe that Lady 1>. haaulteady offered to present Sibyl and Marjorie at Court, and Sibyl looks down from a proper height upon IXM.J lUrding Mow spiteful and cynical I have grown ! It in thin breath of London woildlineasaml liollowiiran win. Ii thes. vimtora have imported into our midst. I wish very much, dear Cecily, tlnii they were gone and yiii were back again. I miiw you so much thai (icoff i* quite jealoua ! I >> end me a long letter and lell me aliont the I.iiiiiiori and all thai you me doing " Wednesday.-- Here, my dear, mylett-i Was broken "If ahorl by tli round of a ring at the bell. I made a hint v move, for I was seated in ungraceful Miss with writing material* in my Inp and my feel in aide thr dl swing-room fender In wnlk<-<), to my ama/emeni, I'M ;i|one. I think I must li.iv liMikrd quite petnlieil, I was ao aaUxuahed Hi the honour H> however aeened to think that no explanation wiw necessary, but >ank down in a low chair and gravely told me thai it waa cob). Aa yon . know, if people really waul to talk about the weather. 1 am always happy to oblige them , so I .u- -.nr ed hnw many degrees of frosl tioofTs Diet- j mometer had registered on the gram. " seemed to ponder this DMWI an nerply that 1 waa afraid I had broken n to iiim too abruptly, and was about to murmur < -herr- ing word* ahont a hypothetical fut lire thaw, when he suddenly exclaimed "What memorial this rung littlo room rrralU, Mr*. Hoyd ! How happy we all were here last winter '.' " ' It was great fun,' aaid I. " ' The whole place neenii changed dif- ferent somehow, he said hurriedly. 'I lie lieve I know why it is Miss Rutland's rtem-e ; ahe waa the tutelary t'emu*. It waa ahe who inspired the Mylnera; they arc an dull aa ditch-water lliia year.' " It was not easy to answer this graceful pec. Ii. I said, after a in.unent's thought '"It is fortunate that you have Lad) Blanche with you to mitigate the ditch- water thia year.' He made n i reply, but delilierately rose, ernsved to the piano, took down that photo of you which wax done in the aummor, with your vioiin, mid stared at it with all hi* might. I could have thrown a book at the nan's head. " ' How ia the?' he a*kc<i absently after while. "'How's who?* I Knapped, for I w .* fuming. " Mia* Rutland, he said, after looking kppr<l'enaively it me. Tnis ia exactly like her. I have seen her stand and look juat so., holding hei violin. Mm. lloyd, won't you give it to me?' "'liivrilto you?' I aaid. as slowly, a* nta/cdly n* I could. 'V* hiti r.ui you mean? \Vliy hould you wish to possess Cecily'* photo';' "He had the praceto look uncomfortable i but he replied coolly " 'I mi a novelist, yon know ; I can ap- |irrriat the artistic. I like also to de- sciibe it. 1 " 'And so you want my Cecily. ' said I through my teeth, ' to cut up anil put into your literary stock pot to be slewed down and served up hot to suit th- jaded appe- tites of your over-fed public ! Am) > ou dare y so to me ! Kxcuse my plainness, Mr. Mallinger, but your inalen<-r quite aa- toniahea me t' "It was a fine slndy to aee bis face. I had never been really rude to anyone be- tort?, but I do think I win justified. )l right He add* that O. M. I* n kind of uminal I hut demand* plain (peaking, and that very likely my attack will do him a deal of good. If you come tothie.k of it, Ceo, how hatefully ungentlenianly tor a man to be engaged to one nil .md lo come ogling and aighing and Ix-gging for the por- trait of another ! What an inanlt to both ! How 1 give thanks every day that you arc safe out of the way ! " Now 1 mud really leave off and go to bed. Cood-bye, my dear child. Be a* happy * ever you can. "Ycur loving friend, "Rrni Bnvn." Over this letter Cecily had brooded long. She sat at tho writing-table in her own room al I'eiiihcrtun Square, and the sheet of note- paper lay before her, covered with Ruth'* vigorous handwriting Sho was wondering at herself, wondering at the little pain it gave her lo think of Oi-ar's unworthiness, wondering why she had 1 bought il necessary lo make herself ao miserable aboul him for Ihe past year. How different life Deemed now ! How strong she felt aud how full of hope '. The face of Ihe world had changed for her since she had baen with the Luxinorca. She could scarce- ly believe that she had come lo London only ten days back. She had not the least idea what had so changed her view of things, and yet the cause was simple enough, She bad left off reading Mallmger's novel* and taken to Kent's. All through laat year she had drunk in the depressing poison of Mallinger'* clever but morbid work. Life wan empty ami hollow ; nobody wa* to be li usied. Kvery love-alory en bd in woe ; every gleam of happiness was paid for by age* of despair. Nobody knew anything, or hoped anything, or looked tor- ward to anything ; all wait futile, wretched, useless, artificial, worthies*. Now, in the page* of the book that lay on her knee, birds were singing, tbe sun was shining, men and women were working and loving bravely through light and nhadow, with steadfast faces that looked confidently on to the hereafter. Life and health, keen humour and strong tense were in every page. Life was worth living t thia raU a glori- { oua gift to be deeply appreciated. A* ; Cecily read, she knew that .she uad been ! wrong. Her heart was not broken or dead a* ahe had believed. She felt that she wa* glad to lie alive ani young A vehement knocking at her door atari led | loatt *j her, and in danced Ph'etw. "Oh, do come, Ceci ! The dressmaker has brought thedreaae* your* and Vanda's for the concert. They are nimply lovely ; and you must come and try yours on at OIK e '" I ily ncuded no second bidding. With all the antn-ip :t ion of girlhood in hei be.ui r i ful eyea, off she darted, and with I'lnelie I uaKed like a whirl wind down atairt into Mrs. Luxmore'a room, where Vanda was already tulimitling her aliin figure to lie laced into ita lustrous white bodice. 'Cecity, come here ! 1 have staked mv "It ean t possibly be for ms, said Cecily, th decision. " I more noticeable inuome pieces thin other* ; I "At present, you had both better devote while from a few it was wholly auoent. He (all your energies, to the task of dressing," did not know, of course, that the pieces I aaid Kin. " We dine in an hour, and mind, which evoked her keenest feelings were la-hen, no unpunctuality will be tolerated those which hi especially associated with to-night." Mailing -r. Alter a day or two he decided "We vanish," laughed Cecily, laying " Mia* Kullaiif think* Camelot House I* like fairyland, yoiu liraoe." Mr. Jvnt said, muling. " A troublesome 'tiryland, Mi Rat- land," aaid the noble oTrner good -humour- edly ; ''but there ia certainly oue fairy in it thai she hail I Hitter play (irieg ; at ihe end down her boucpiet to take upher glove* and I to-night from the land of Mowers, i of the week he saw clearly that the particu lar example of '.hi* mailer mint lie the " Farewell ' with which ahe had a*u>niahed them al first. At this |wrtn ular piece she aud he work <<l -'eiidily ; but, a* the lime drew near, tlni young man began to feel a vague dis- appointment a doubt, never expressed, but still a d >uht aa to whether ahe played it as well aa ahe used. At laet one day he broke o!T sharply and turned round upon her. "Put more fire into it," he said. "Mow fan you expect fire at rehearsal*' It is too expensive,' said she coolly. "\V ill you be able to work yourself up on the ni^lit? " "I'll try, at least. Yea; I will somehow, liut I shall loie it, if I attempt it every i lay. " He waa forced lo be content with thia, for he was naturally ignorant of the fact that the wound, d love aud resentment which inspired llial fire were growing weaker every day. Cecily herself wa* startled by hia words. "Hut I will rouse my feelings somehow when the night comes. "she thought. "I will think over our last evening together and read those two note* he seut me, before I burn them." lint, when the magical concert day really did arrive, shr ha i uo time for these remiuia- ceo'jrs. Hi.- chained her down for a long practice after breakfast, at the conclusion of which he funned frantically off to Vanda, to put tiniahing touches to the pretty long amoke- gray cloaka lined with pale pink which the girls had been making lor themaelvee with the help of the ewi>ig-maid. After lunch, Mr*. Luxmore took both of them for a short Irive in the Park, "to put a colour in their i of unpleasant excitement at bis heart. nutf. " Hut, oh, the demon of curiosity ! It is alive and *troii(j within me. Who can have sent me those superb flowers? Who can possibly have sent them ?" Julian Kent, in evening dress and (pot- less gloves, stood just inside the noble en- trance to Camelot House. He waa convers- ing with the Ouktt, b-it hia eye* were fixed i.p-m the doorway. Being a private house, audience and performer alike entered at the great door ; and the novelist wat'-lied for the appearance of one woman. " Ai I wa* saying," said his (irace, " a thing of this kind ia worth doing, when the licketa are taken up like tin*. We ahall hand over a clear three hundred pound* to the inatitution, not counting sale of pro- grammes, which ought to realise another twenty pounds, since every lady wiling i* a lieauty and bear* title. There were half a dozen tickets unsold last night, and I gave notice they were to charge two guineas a- piece for em. AH gone -and such a fine night ! We shall have a crowded house." " You are much to be congratulated, your Crace," said Kent heartily. " I think the subscribers will get their money's worth however. 1 am sure you will be pleased with the young violinist I spoke of. May I pre- sent her to you when she arrives ?" ' Ily ali mean*, if you say she is lovely ; tor you are the moit fastidious judge of wo- men's looks I know. By the way, Lingate will not be here after all Lord Lingate. I met him to day ; he was in the moot awful passion. You know this male professional beauty-this Os.-ar Mallinger whom all the womrfn are raving over, who was engaged to Lingate's daughter ?" ' Was does the arrangement no longer stand tben ?" asked Kent, sudden feeling 'heeks," as ahe aaid ; and, when they came home there waa something in the drawing- room which effectually distracted Cecily'* attention It wa* an exquisite bouquet of white orchids, eiicharta, and gardenia*, tied with long soft white rbuina. I scarcely think it can, after what I iieard her father say to-day. What do you think the young fool has heen doing ? lieli- brrately cutting hi* throat. Meddling in politics, about which he knows nothing, and worse than nothing ! Issuing a scurrilous political pamplilet-an attack upon the It lay on a table at a safe distance from Covernmsnt. which is at fair a mixture of the fire, its fafMW filling all th. r Jom. | eo,,^ , nd lgnormnc . M , vcr i cfcm(( 1XTO- " O ... on, cried all three ladies, a. they i _u, j ud((<( from the ,. , laven t re(k<1 entered, " what a splendid delightful bou- | the thing myself. Now," continued his 'I 1 '"'/ (Jrace eonti'lently. " can yoo conceive of It. for teci. said Ph.i-be, who was , llc h .,-unn on ihe part of any man not in muffins. landing slock- null in she middle of the room. " Who sent it ?" sanl Mr*. Luxmore, ad- vancing with a pleasvd smilo. " Don't know," said Pho l<e, whose mind waa centred on preventing l>olf, the fox- terrier, from licking the pile of buttered iiiniln i in the fender. " There must 1 e a card with it, ' said her mother. " Look, Cecily " There isn't a card of any kind, as it hnppns, for .lane and I turned it all over to see, ' laid I'ho-be frankly. part o any man not in Bedlam, with hia future father-in-law a member of the Cabinet ! The idiotic thing appears to be masked nnder the form of a dream, but il'a a* transparent a* day. And hi* future father-in law in the Cabinet, air ! There's apitce of taste for yon !" " I don't wonder Lord Lingate was an- noyrd," was Kent's calm answer. "As to Mallinger, 1 am heartily lorrv for him. The boy has had his head turned." think !" And he bent his eyes upon the magnificent bouquet in her hand. " Are they not lovely?" she said, ac- knowledging his compliments with a smile and a heightened colour. " I wish I knew who sent them U> me." " Kh what ! An unknown giver ? ThU i* most mil-renting, ' cried thn Duke. " \Ve niusi sift this mailer to tbe bottom." " Then you must do it quickly.'' laughed Kent, " for I -nu.il carry off the fairy to the green room." " One more look," pleaded Cecily, "over the gallery at ihe gay people swarming into the hall P She ben* her bright laughing face down- wards for a few short moments. When she raised it again Kent was horrified al the change in it. She wa* pale even to the lips, the expression of her mouth wa* the same a* it wore when she was playing her violin the first time he ever saw her. " Miss Rutland," he exclaimed, " you are not well !" for she recoiled a few steps from the balustrade aud then tottered, as if needing support. His arm was instantly ready, and her slight hand gripped it until the preawnre was painful. The Duke's attention had fortunately been diverted by some lady who accosted him. Kent managed to stand so that his strong, burly figure screened the girl's ghastly face from view until ihe rallied a mile. She looked at him imploringly, as if seeking help or strength. At last she spoke, all the time pulling at his arm as if lo drag him away from ihe top of the staircase. " I ome !" she said, almost inarticulately. He lod her along tbe corridor toward* the door of the green-room. She could hardly walk. Hut wa* fast recovering herself. When they got out of the press of people, she faltered an apology. " Oh. Mr Kut, I am so very sorry '" " What i* it '." he said, with exceeding gentleness. " Could you tell me ? I would do anything to help you." She looked swiftly round, as if to see that : they were not followed. Then *he stam- mered " You will not tell any one, will you ? I am ao ashamed W being so foolish. I am all right again now ; but please say noth- ing about il !" " Of course not ! Where is the need */ I he said reassuringly. " You are quite your , self again now even the color is coming I back. You were a little over-excited, went you not ?" " Not only thjt," she murmured shame- facedly ; "but there is some one here to- night IJiaw someone whom it is very pain- ful to me to see. (TO ne ovriMi i>.) reputation for taste on this gown for you," aaid Mrs. Luxmore. " If it is a failure, I really think 1 shall shed learn." " It ahall not be a failure !" decured 'eeily stoutly, as ahe llung aside her dark serge dies* in min-h excitement. " I ilo ao wish more than that, I intend to look my In-lit, as well as do my Iwat, on Thurs- day !" (Vcily s gown was smoke-giay and iteel, a colour winch suited her bron/.e hair and clear nain admirably. Thure could lie but one opinion concerning n It was perfect. " You must wear no colour with il mind that '" aaid Mrs. Luxmore emphatically. " No no colour!" agreed Vanda, aur- vey ng it from a distance with the air of a connoiaeur. < icily began lo sweep forwards in front of the long glass, to turn and move away with her pretty lace turned backward don't know a soul in London likely to send me such a thing. Arc jou sure it was for me, Kibs '." " Fibs" wa* the endearing abbreviation by which Mia* I'lm-bo Lucmore WAS known lo her family. " It was addressed to " Mis* Rutland, care of Mrs. Lutmore,' "asuertc-d the young " This may perhaps IM- a lesson to him," laid the Duke, whose attention waa then called away by one of his servants. He hurried off, leaving Kent reflecting. "He will be free, then. Ovm-i'iit toujv*r a *>* I'rrmirre* amour*. And hi* mis- : malic tires have been recognized oy man fortune will be a passport to such a heart : ufaclurers and riders of bicycles so long: . KOLI FIO> ItMBKLA. Thr lailrMlisrllest er rurissBSllr Tim Hay aui- Itelter <. The sxivantagrsof ball bearings and peuu- aa her*. She will forgive him He looked up. In the doorway stood a bright vision. Cecily all in gray, the long folds of her graceful clock drooping from her beautiful shoulder* and in nor hand was written on in a crooked florist's lady doggedly. " It box it came in, and handwrit.ugv " " What it Kiba laying about a crooked tloi it ': ' laid Rn-, coming in. " Poor arHict- ed man, whoever he is 1" " .V flonat'a crooked handwriting," cor- rected I'lbs undauntedly. " The hoy who left i', went off at ouce and wouldn't say whore il came from." " You'll carry it, won't you, Ceci ?" said Vanda, gingerly lifting the splouiild thing from the table. "It is exactly the very * I huge mass of snowy blonsom*, the scent of *ne i.^^t. a -.! * i_ L:_ & L. him. met hia, her face lighted up unmistakably. He was conscious, a* he looked at her, of a certain difference about hsr lomewhers) some lublle change had passed over her SIM e he siw her first. Her counl*n*ce, 1 when ahe cams to London, had been that of a woman who looka hack regretfully ; now it was rather that of one who looks forward hopefully In the moment which elapsed between hia *irt catching sight of her and his reselling her side, he had Ume to think that the wonder is, nol that those friction- saving devices have been applied to track sulkies, but that they were net utilized on all varieties of light vehicles long ago, says the Minneapolis t'rthun,. Wheels of the bicycle pattern can be made as strong ai necessary. The pneumati eaaily over the uneven surfa tire of ]>*? road- mark I he M of her Iran, " j ^ * ^ ^j^'f al ' mo . t "th, j ' f *\~* to wonder it were Ju ,l pc, . 3M* Ryeu",t aur^tte'r 1 ^ 1 ^ 1001 " 1 " 1 "" " "* l-sJ^^*^--* "*-*.-. -, *jiii i i 4 j . L ' urea*. hSTflddle exalted to such Pho.b, again burst ,. * ll!l "'''"' " I 'ecily, Kic say* you aru to come down this minute am) practise. He save you don t know your andante one bit. and heitu'lgo- I ing lo i i-k a breakdown." " How rude Rio is! But I'm sure he never sent such a message, " aaid Ric's mother. " I dare say he did, or something very like it ?" cried Cecily merrily, " It mlrue; I don't know my itniUnle, unl 1 mutt go and take my snubbing meekly l.'nlace me, pliiane, somebody. Oh, I feel so dissatis- fied ! Kvery day I aeem to play worse, and Thursday ia so near. And yet some tuned It seems as if it would never come." CHAPTKU VI. The day of the Artists' Benefit Concert dawned frosty and clear. There were no sign* of a thaw, and there waa ju*l enough wind to keep off the fog. Thi re was a great (fe<\l of excitement in the Lux 1101 e*' bouse. Thia evening wa* most important cne to leveral of ita in n'Mea. Many of Richard'* hope* hung upon it. It was the first year that the young , ..MI [KIWI bad Imen chosen to lead the orchestra al Camelot House. Vanda, who was among the second violins, waa alao in a atate of trepidation ; but their culminating an\ ielies were fixed upon Cecily. Since that firt performance of hers on (lie night of her .nival, people had been talking of her. Kvery one who heard her described her aa quite a genius. People, degree, responsible for her altered looks. " There is a prophecy of success in your very face," waa his greeting. He thought he h.id never seen anything so beautiful as " Oh. ye.-I think I must oarry it-dear The rapid fa^in.tiug smile which . * liirltta*tilllllli<>rs^Vi>s1 at.*, at hit llMlbssil sit h 1 til looked for a moment <|uiUi uncertain wht | ,,,,-h M Kent, the Hraces, and the tosay or do, only dropping Ihe piclure aa if It burned hia fingers. lfSt wllo went everywhere, had been de lenbing I he strange fire and power of exprea- " 'Yon quite misunderstand me,' he said I sion in the young player. at last, in tones thai showed me how small | Supposing, then, that for any reason her the mill really is ; 'but, a* I fear any efforts I performance at the concert ahould l>e heal- of mine to make you comprehend would l>e | tating, or IMIIO, or lame should she fail-to quite useless, I had betler not trespass evoke the enthusiastic unanimous tutor' which Richard confidently expected, there would lie n blank feeling of disappointment, an annoying Huggeatinn of having overrated upon yoji further.' " ! <|uile agree with you,' I assented en- ergetically. Vonuss tho privilege of your sex to (peak freely,' lie said i 1 1). "'On Ihe contrary, Mr. Malli linger, if 1 wr re a man, I should tell you niiii'h more frei ly what I think of you,' I rolorUd, quite undaunted. He ! oU'-l rsllion^h lie wnrM like to murder me, bowed, and w.dknd out Suire be went. I hn\>< roc .led ilnwn consider* ' ly and am Ii >!' in lined to think 1 wa* ton hard upon him. He ia ao Kon.i look ing, xiiU hateful wretch 1 llut (ieoff says 1 waau,nire a mediocre talent. TliegnT* namo w<e utter ly unknown. ICic and all the rent of ihe oitlee knew that, in placing it on the programme, they were challenging criticism. She mils! do aomiuliing amply to justify her existence. Accordingly he had token great pains tn select the piece she should play. KM had heard hei go through all hr ri-/viinin ami hid soon discovered that idle varied That wonderful aympathelic tire, win. I: had rouied Uer usw ui J forcibly, was inuU Mr*. Limnore, may I not? Y.>VI see I have not the vaguest notion who sent it! Why, I havn only Ix-en in London three weeks ! My bouquet can have no sentimental origin. " " I should certainly carry it," was Mrs. Luxmore'a unhesitating answer. " Hut really, Cecily, are you sure you have no guesai** ?" " Why, ye* ! How dull I am ! It is from oMieol you !" cried the girl. " Kroin you, Mrs. Luxmore ?" " No, indeed, my dear ; suoli a botuiuel wo. ild be beyond my mnans, eren if I bad tbo"ght of such u thing, which I confess 1 did not. The bouquet holder is silver. Do you see ?" " So it is !" i-ri-d Vaiida. " \Vhjit a sumptuous gifl ! .V.., i Ve u ia alwve the level f Peml>eilon Squar- ' And Kic has ' muiln g 1 y ; lighted up her eyes as sho looked at him, riveted his .'bains into the very rock.. " I have much more confidence than 1 had dared to hope for !" she >aid eagerly. " You need not be afraid, ' answered Julian simply. He knew well enough that tney would applaud ihi* radiant creature before ahe had played a note. " What a lovely place ! Wliat a fairy ried the girl, glancing up the grand way, helping itself over obstructions by its elasticity. It is bitter than spruigs for making a vehicle "ride easy. " It is esti- mated that the combination of ball bear- ings and pnciiniSAic tires added from two to three seconds to Nancy Hanks s speed by lessening the draft of her sulky. A gain of such a large |>erceatage in lightlies* of drsft will he appreciated by owners of good roadsters, and uow that thieir attention has heen called to it, Ike time can rut be far distant when they will want pneumatic tiresajdba'l bearings on their buggies. The pneumatic lire will not reach ihe farm wagon, for it can not stand rough usage, but there would seem to be no reason why the ball bearings ahould sol be appli- ' ed to vehicles of thai cliu*. The change wovld work a great saving in horse desh and in time, for it would make possible tho hauling of heavier loada. With the march of theae. improvements will come better roads. Thi* is the age of wheels, and the gentleman driver, the firm- er and the bicyclist will soon be in league for iirproved highways in city aud country alike. proliably spent all his spare cash on (lowers f.,r Madeline to night. Let me think. I am I*" riinii'iig over men l find the kind of person, for it i* a certain aorl of ntava who sends bouquet*- plenty of money, and rather a ladiwi man. I don't seem to llunk of one in our circle ; hut it must have been some one whnknew your address." Moat mysterious !" said Mr*. Luxmors, tipping her tea. " No muffins, I'll* : ilbiunts the brain," cued Vanda, " and I must reflect ! Cecily, them wus that rich Mr. Howel al the vestry ball I he nigh t Iwforc las* '. He waa severely were passing ladies in handsome toilettes with their attendant gentlemen. " It 11 imre like a scene in a play, or a bit of a novel, than a night in mv life " " There is generally a little bit of fairy- land in everyone's life somewhere- -even Ihe most prosaic," said ihe novelist. " It ia a strange sensation," thp girl said knowing thai she spoke as if anything might hap- amitujn. Kic, did any oue ask you for her address ?" " No . but ene follow asked if it were still possible to not tickets for th* Artist*' Concert. ' " Ilo might have procured tho tddreas some othei way," said \ anda thoughtfully ; ' he waa that k.ud of mau. Could it be he, Cecily ?" " 1 shouldn't I). .nk it possible, Vanda ! It is quite absurd. I took no particular notice ol him " Well, I can't shirk of anybody else," said Vaiida conclusively j " but, whoever it was, he ha exceedingly good taste in hia choice l.oi b of the gift and the lady to whom it ia offered." " Hear, hear !" murmured Ric. ( Ycily gaily caught up her flowers and swept au elaborate curtsey of acknowledg- ment " Ah,'' cried lie, " you wail till I have mv trai-i ! I will oiirtesy then with tho ,-iid of these llowsrj. You (hull soe." You are on Ihe threshold,' he aaid, smiling, " or, more accurately, on the shore of ihe great untrustworthy ocnan of public opinion." He gave her bis arm to lead her up-slair*. " I remember very well what it felt nae inysc.lt ; 1 mil fympathise." Vanda and Mr*. Luxmore, seeing Cecily safely in Mr. Kent's charge, had hurried on under escort of Paul lUndall, who had been on the watch for their arrival. " Ah, yea," said Cecily, " hut you did not have lo stand up in person before five hundred people you senl out your book to reprcsrn 7 . you. I ahould like to tell you what I tliiuk about your books when we have tin-..-." " Ilo you like them '" " ' Like' is not enough," she replied, after a little pause. " 1 moruthan like them i bey have done me good." Perhaps few men ha\e experienced purer and more real pleasure t ban came to Julian Kent, the admired and belauded novelist, at those simple word* of praise. " Thia i* encouragement for an/thing no hostile review *hall ever shake my faith in niyaelf alter thia," he said under his breath. He had no time for more. They were at the head of the itaii*, aud the Duke stood conveniently near. " That i* the Dukeof Lamorna," hnrried- ! rv'rinured Kent I > bis companion. "I wair to introduce you ; may I ?" " 1 should like i:," said CVcilv an 1 went thro igli her ]'iesen:atiou with In r 0-uiom bij- ^ race. l.\|trliienls nllait arrlrr Plsjrsi*> In ranse<|iience of the difficulty of connect- in; Rathlin Island, off ths north coast of Ireland, by telegraphic cable with the main land, the coxmitiee of Lloyd's have been making trial of carrier pigeons as a means of communication with ths Lloyd's signal station oo Kathlin. A loft of these birds has been established at Ballycastle, wheie they are trained to tly to aud from Rathlin. So far thii experiment has proved very successful. During the naval maii'euvrc* Captain Henderson, ol Her Majesty's ship Arethnaa, wishing to make experiments with carrier pigeon*, ap- 1'ln'd for the loan of some from Lloyd's loft .t liallycaslle. The application was acced- ed to by the committee of Lloyd's and thirty three birds were placed at Captain Hender- son's disposal, as well AS the services of one of the caretakers of the pigeon loft. Of the XI birds only eight were trained, and the**) .i been trained only to rly from Rath- lin Miami to tho mainland, a distance [ ulna mile*. The remainder were young birds and untrained. Captain Henderson report* that 17 bird* were flown w.Ui inea- hagea when the ahip waa cruising near the Mall of Cantyre and Rathlin the eight trained bird* and nine others. The eight homed safely at Kallycaitle, also three of the untrained birds. Captain Henderson judge* from Hiese re*ults that the experi- ments, though hastily improvised and mad* without proper arrangements, show thak well-trained birds may be trusted to convey message* from squadrons and ships for dis- tances extending several hundred miles from the land, and may he the means of saving much wear and tear of ship* and consumption of coal. A confirmed toper in Ato-hiaon, Kansas, was induced to promise that he would tako the Keely cure. To pay his expense*, hi, waa given 960. With this rvm he went ou a roaring spree.